Bird of Paradise
by mangageek23
Summary: Kyoya finds paradise, a reprieve in a shrine he happened upon on chance. He gains a peace and makes a friend, a second home...
1. Kagome, Kagome

**Hello! Another crossover fic by me! ^^;;;;;**

 **Someone with sense: hey manga why don't you finish the fics you already have before creating new ones?**

 **Me with no sense: _wHy dON't yoU FiNish thE FIcs yOU aLReaDY hAvE BEforE CREatiNG NeW OnES?_...**

 **to be fair, I started these all around the same time, and am working on them all at the same fucking time, my hand is in like 5 different baskets at once, and I'm sorry but I'm not. I had to get this out there.**

 **Sorry for the dramatic meme of an entrance, this fic is something a little bit different. Not Kyoya/Kagome, just to be clear, they have a different relationship, can you guess?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Kyoya sighed, snapping his phone shut, the host club had dragged him out of bed on another excursion through the ' _commoner_ ' side of town and throughout most of Tokyo's shopping district.

Since he was still rather out of it for most of the trip, it was inevitable that he would wander away from them and lose them in his attempt to get as far away from the noise of, well..., everything. That he eventually found himself much farther than he meant to.

Looking around he was near someplace called the "Sunset Shrine", sighing, and having nothing better to do, he thought he'd go there to at least have a marker to either meet up with the others or better yet call for a ride home from one of his drivers.

As he made his way up the stairs, he could admit the view was quite spectacular and the quiet breeze paired with the view did its job and slowly released the tension in his shoulders.

Making it to the top, he was quite serene and his mind was finally clear and fully alert, as he took in the shrine grounds, he began searching his memory if he had ever run been to this particular shrine before.

Kyoya didn't find himself particularly religious, despite his father's own beliefs in Shinto, he was neither here or there. So outside of Shrine visits on holidays, he never went out of his way to visit one, and the ones they visited were always packed and popular destination spots. This one, while beautiful, didn't seem to have anyone around.

Obviously, it was well taken care of, if not showing its age here and there around the grounds. Spotting a bench he decided to rest a second.

He had just sat down when he heard a noise nearby. Opening his eyes he nearly sighed at the sight of a shrine maiden...that was until he realized she was entirely focused on her task.

Focused enough he could take a moment to look at her face.

She was quite a beauty in both a traditional and modern appeal.

But..., she also seemed vaguely familiar...? He remembered nearly everyone, why couldn't he place how he knew her...

Then her voice broke him out of his contemplation.

"You stare any harder, you might burn a hole through me..."

Though startled he didn't let his expression slip and smiled.

"Simply taking in the view Miss..."

She hummed but didn't seem convinced, he let his smile slip unwilling to keep up the charade while off the clock.

Peering at her once more and unable to shake the air of familiarity he asked, "Do I know you?"

She stopped her sweeping, finally looking over at him.

"Mmmh, no, I don't say I find myself interacting with the high class much..."

He quirked an eyebrow at that, even dressed down for the spontaneous outing, he still managed to stand out.

Before he could propose another query, she answered his next thought, "And no, I don't know who you are either."

She smiled, giving a bow, "This is usually the part where we exchange introductions and niceties, but you don't seem the type..."

He snorted a tad uncharacteristically, she had a point, he wasn't much for conversation outside of business or school.

She picked up her sweeping again, though he rarely kept up pleasantries when not beneficial, conversation with her didn't seem too bad...

Despite better judgment, he decided to strike up conversation,

While usually well versed, and despite his persona, he wasn't the most social of the bunch when it came to initiating the conversation without having all bases covered ahead of time.

But the day was already odd enough as was, why not switch things up?

Pushing his glasses up, he asked, "Not many visitors around here?"

The Miko who had seemed to finish sweeping only hummed again.

"Not around this time no,...we get a good amount for festivals or around exam season..."

He let out an amused huff, _**witty**_...

She placed the broom against the shrine walls, giving him a smile, "I'm Kagome by the way, feel free to look around the shrine grounds." and with that stepped back into the small gift shop adjacent to the shrine.

He leaned back against the bench, looking back at the clouds, well there went conversation and though short, she had made a definite lasting impression...

Ah well, the air was pleasant and weather warm. He could see why the club wanted to go out on a day like such, if only they had decided to go at a more reasonable hour.

Pulling his phone out, he estimated the time remaining until his driver would arrive and decided it was enough to take the invitation and walk around the shrine.

Mind made up, he walking around the grounds taking everything in, it was a beautiful spot hidden in plain view, and could be an excellent investment,

He sighed to himself, of course, the lack of proper marketing could be the very reason the area kept its peaceful air about it...

Kyoya had an analytical mind first and foremost, but he also understood not everything had to be for a profitable gain, it was just generally more preferable.

Wandering a bit he found himself near the base of a large tree. Though he loathes the idea of being caught doing so, he sat on the ground near the tree.

The air gave him a peace he hadn't felt for a while, closing his eyes and just focusing on breathing, doing so he relaxed and all thoughts drift away.

He wasn't sure if he fell into a light daze or if it had only been a few short minutes when his phone began buzzing alerting him of his driver's arrival.

Getting up and dusting off his pants, feeling his pocket to make sure he had a wallet, unlike the previous excursion and headed to the front.

At the front, he made a small donation and went straight for the stairs.

Before he got too far, he heard the call of Kagome's voice, "Thank you for visiting Sunset Shrine! Come again sometime~"

Kyoya brushed off the idea of visiting again as he descended the stairs, it wasn't until he was nearing home and the thought came that maybe, just maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to visit once more...


	2. The Bird in the Cage

**Thank you for reading! This story won't be overly long, I think chapters will be a tad short, and mostly a little introspective. More to unfold next time! Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been almost a month of stress from school and home before he thought to visit Sunset Shrine once more.

Life was full of the usual normal occurrences, and yet he needed a break. Thinking of the calm reprieve he had experienced for a short moment in the secluded spot away from the major city bustle had him urging to go back.

His decision was made when he had to clean up a mess the twins had made. The look of terror on their faces when he informed them they would certainly be paying for it in the future made things a bit better, not great, but better.

After club had been wrapped up that afternoon he had his driver drop him off with instructions to give him at least half an hour at most to walk the grounds and pay respects.

Kyoya gave a sigh viewing the stairs. He didn't consider himself a weakling, but the stairs of the shrine could give anyone a run for their money.

As he climbed, step by step, thoughts slowly left him one by one.

He focused on the sounds, the feel of the air and centering himself.

Reaching the top, he found himself eons calmer and more at peace than when he started at the bottom.

What an odd feeling, odd but a welcome change.

Being at the top, the view was certainly rewarding. Sticking his hands into his pockets, no set plan in mind now that he was finally here. He was saved from pondering too deeply on the subject when the girl he had first saw sweeping stepped out of the gift shop.

She smiled as she spotted him, offering a small bow in greeting which he returned.

Kagome, he remembered her name, offered to show him around the grounds, he agreed, he had time.

So Kagome gave the tour, spouting off history and fact about the shrine and landmarks and antiques. He took notice that some of the antiques on display were in well-kept condition and looked authentic, curious but not strange since it was likely an artifact the shrine had been keeping for decades.

They viewed nearly everything, before ending the tour at the tree he had found himself at previously.

Goshinboku, a fitting name for such a tree. As he stared up at the tree, a sense of calm serene washed over him.

Kagome moved to sit on the grassy spot aways from the tree and Kyoya followed suit.

Smiling at him, she asked, "Do you want to hear the story of Midoriko and the Shikon no Tama? It's a legend directly tied to the history of this shrine..."

Curious he agreed to listen, closing his eyes as he focused on the tale, Kagome's voice filling the space with her narrative.

She was a vivid storyteller, Kyoya had a mild interest in history in general but the story she wove was captivating.

"...And thus ends the tale of Midoriko and Magatsuhi and how the Shikon no Tama was formed..."

He opened his eyes, blinking, that couldn't be the end, could it?

Looking over at her, he caught her enigmatic smile, and he realized that it was indeed only half the story.

He gave a smirk of his own, he could see her game. Get him hooked then leave him wanting to come back for more...smart...

His phone buzzed distracting him, it looked like his time was up.

Standing, dusting off his pants he said, "I trust that you'll finish your tale next time Ms."

Kagome grinned fully at that, "Of course! And you can call me Kagome!"

He simply waved as he made his way back, hearing her add, "Goodbye glasses-kun!"

Kyoya gave a soft snort, of course, he would strike up with a person who didn't even know his name. Briefly, he thought of Tamaki and the manner in which he befriended anyone before knowing a name, shaking his head ruefully, he set his mask back in place and prepared to go home.

It seemed he had a knack for meeting interesting people...

At the end of the day,...he didn't mind...

 **~,~**

Kyoya was an intuitive person by nature, he didn't like leaving even one stone unturned or untouched.

He liked having information garnered for any one situation or scenario, and even the not so plausible ones.

He was just that type of person that liked to be ahead of the game.

So once he had come upon Sunset Shrine, his natural inclination was to dig for information and background on the site and people, but something about it had felt wrong.

The information network he had built along with his own version of sleuth detective skills he prioritized highly, but something about doing it this time around didn't sit right with him.

He tried justifying it by saying there would be no true gain or profit from such actions, and be a wasted breath, but it was really more that the shrine was a little haven neutral ground from both school and home.

Unlike his usual methods, he wanted to learn by being told directly, not from someone else or by whatever information he'd be able to come across.

The matter had him taking a step back in how he handled things. Business wise it was an important lucrative skill that the environment he grew up was something encouraged.

So he rarely thought of the implications of behind such actions.

He never really understood why Haruhi had gotten upset when she realized how much information he had gathered about her, she wasn't upset about him knowing, she was upset he _didn't ask._

The very idea was mindboggling, in the world of dealings, trades, and money, it's all about putting up a front, talking through hidden words and meanings, if you wanted something you needed to get it through other means.

It was so simple but he had never really thought about it, it was just how things were. Haruhi made him question a lot of things that he had grown up thinking was just the way things were run.

Of course, he had a firmer grasp of these concepts than the rest of the club, but he was still learning it in a way himself.

Haruhi was a number of things, sure he had seen the profit that she could bring by coming into the club, but she had brought in more than just customers.

Who woulda thunk it, that a simple shrine visit would make him take a step back and connect with the people he already knew better.

Maybe it was the fact there he had no need to hold up pretenses, that while at school or home he was an Ootori, but at the Shrine, they didn't even know his name, he was just another visitor with no expectations or demands. That the calm was able to allow him to look at what lead him there.

Kyoya rarely believed in fate, but something called him to the shrine, maybe befriending a shrine maiden would be more beneficial than he had first thought...

* * *

Small note about the shrine grounds, I'm basing it largely from the canon but adding a few slight additions like the antiques and such. Hopefully you don't mind and thank you all for reading and please review!


	3. When, oh when will it come out

**Heya! Sorry for the delay, out of my line up of wips, I was like oh, I have enough to update this fic and laughed because I was like "oh it's the one no one reads", but then, I saw the follow/fav and had a dumbstruck moment. Like, when? hOW? It was a little startling but warming! Thanks for following my little fic! Please review if you have a chance!**

 **Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait ^^ The real "drama"**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Kyoya continued his mini visits to the shrine, in secret of course. Though he was fond of the host club, he didn't want to ruin the small sliver of peace he found away from everything. Especially least his father were to find out, he'd think it would be a waste of time to visit and discouraged if not outright ban the near-weekly visits.

Kagome was a nice girl, about the same age as Haruhi. She was witty and almost always seemed to stay a step ahead of him in some manner or another. Kagome had a wealth of knowledge especially pertaining to history, and not just on her shrine but on ancient legends, and the history of Japan. It brought the question just why a high school girl had such a vested interested in the history of myths and legends but he simply chalked it up to her being raised on shrine grounds, where they lived and breathed traditional mixed with modern life.

Despite her obvious intellect, she had admitted to having failed a few courses due to health concerns. By all logic, the reason seemed flawed, but if he thought to truly question and push it, it would ruin the small companionship they had build...and as it was, he'd rather let sleeping dogs lie...

When he had first decided to keep coming to the shrine, he had thought about keeping his lineage secret, but Kagome was more than happy to keep calling him "Glasses-kun" and every other variation until he gave her a name to go off of. If she recognized the Ootori name she made no sign of it, and for that, he was eternally grateful.

The name carried a weight, one of which he more than happy to use to his advantage at any chance or occasion if needed, still something about being treated with pretense _there_ was an unpleasant thought...

She was just Kagome and he was just Kyoya and he liked it as that, they were just two teenagers who had grown up in vastly different situations and stations but she had slowly wiggled her way into friend territory...

...Still, though their meetings irregular every time he had the niggling suspicion of familiarity but from all accounts and backgrounds it made no sense as why exactly that was.

When he had finally met the lady patron of the shrine, Ms. Higurashi, it answered a few questions but merely burned the pot for other mysteries that seemed to elude his grasp.

She was a nice older woman, he could easily see where Kagome got some of her humor from and they shared many a trait that wasn't outright obvious to the eye.

Their first meeting wasn't otherworldly remarkable, however, unlike her daughter she did seem to recognize the name Ootori upon hearing it. Her reaction was what gave him pause, though there was recognition unlike the usual surprise and followed deference, a flicker of what was, fear perhaps? Crossed her face? Was it panic? Why would the name in flicker such? Sure it held weight and his family certainly delved into security and had a few darker ties, but what all he had garnered, Kagome's family would have no need for such fear, so why...?

It was an exchange that was hard for him to put into words, but he found himself taking note of it to catalogue later. Still, Ms. Higurashi was a hospitable host the few times he had been careened to come into their home, she didn't go out of her way to appease nor be outright or even passively hostile towards him, nothing but familial and genial.

For the moment he would keep his mind on the present, meaningless talk and quiet peace.

 **~,~**

The answer came to him one night at dinner.

Dinner at the Ootori home was always a formal affair, not every night, fortunately. But every Sunday he and his brothers would gather for a meal together with their parents. It was unpleasant for all involved sans perhaps their mother which was the true reason they suffered through it.

That and the risk of setting their father's ire. Which, in the grand scheme of things wasn't all too difficult to do...

Kyoya had been through these dinners a thousand times over, and yet, it was as if for the first time he noticed and picked up on certain habits, quirks, and things about his appearance that he had seen many a time, but only now taking true notice of.

These things that made his query on familiarity with Higurashi Kagome make sudden sense.

For instance, the shade of hair his father carried while similar to his own, Kyoya's was a pure rich black while his father's carried more of a sheen of blue.

As they were dismissed from the meal, Kyoya took his time to ponder these thoughts further. He wouldn't jump so far as to assume the worst, but mere suspicions led him to a family acquaintance or intermarriage somewhere down the line.

Like many upper-class families, they tended to of a rather traditional purist and only marrying other upper class. It was not uncommon to find that should one in family seek someone of a different class, they'd be ostracized or written out of the family. Even in this modern day, he was certain his family followed this rule...

His family line was vast and old, he hadn't interacted with anyone outside of the main branch. And as the third son, he had " _no need_ " to be acquainted with the older heads.

Surely things were beginning to line up in his mind, though the time spent with Kagome was short, he felt he had garnered a great insight about her as a person. Aside from the small physical similarities, the general standing with which she held herself was reminiscent of the self-assured confidence his father exuded.

They carried the same feel and aura about them, for certain, Kagome was eons warmers in personality and temperament compared to his father, but there was just something about them that drew parallels.

Still, the parallels were common traits many could be associated with, and Kyoya was not one to make conclusions on such circumstantial evidence. He needed to know more...

He had no real reason to seek out answers aside from assuaging his burning curiosity. Would he like the results of such answers once he found them? All this investigation, queries, just from a simple familiarity he had gained from a stranger?

Or was it more? Did he subconsciously seek for some other reason to tie him to the shrine outside of a romantic venture? He knew, that he would be welcomed regardless of any and everything, but the fear of his father's power threatening to take the small joy away from him. Even at Ouran, as much power as they wielded, and as little as his father thought of him, he wanted more.

Kyoya had no real reason nor rhyme as to why exactly he sought answers, but he was already going down this path and he would see it through.

Trying to recall old memories of his grandmother, the Ootori monarch before his father. A stern but matronly woman who was only ever soft with her grandkids.

Only one thing stuck out with such clarity he wondered how he had forgotten it...her _bright **blue**_ eyes, uncommon for one of their heritage but eyes that held stories of ages, and the same eyes he saw in Kagome...


End file.
